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The Trick Is the Cornflake Coating
The secret to getting these chicken fingers perfectly crispy without frying is the cornflake coating. It's a great way to add flavor and texture to the chicken without the hassle and mess of hot oil. Cornflakes crush down into shaggy, golden shards that crisp up beautifully in the oven, giving you a crust that's crunchy all the way through instead of soggy in the middle. Along with the cornflakes, the coating includes flour, egg, salt and pepper, sweet paprika, and parmesan. That combination gives you a coating that's savory, slightly smoky-sweet, and just salty enough from the cheese. Once baked, the chicken strips are perfectly golden brown, juicy, and crispy.
What You'll Need
Chicken. I like to use chicken breast for this recipe—you simply cut it into strips before breading. You can also use chicken tenders if you can get them, though they can be slightly more expensive. Use chicken that is free-run or organic if you can, and one that hasn't been raised on antibiotics.
The coating. Cornflakes are the star here, crushed into coarse crumbs rather than a fine powder so you keep some texture. Flour helps everything adhere. Sweet paprika adds warmth and color. Parmesan brings a salty, nutty edge. Salt and pepper round it out.
The binder. A whisked egg is what makes the coating stick to the chicken. Without it, the cornflake mixture slides right off in the oven.
How to Make This Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers Recipe
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, then place a cooling rack onto the baking tray. Spray the cooling rack with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. This is what lets the heat circulate around the chicken so the bottom crisps too, instead of steaming against a flat pan.
Cut the chicken. Cut chicken breast into strips and set aside in a large bowl.
Mix the coating. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add crushed cereal, flour, salt and pepper, paprika, sugar, and parmesan. Whisk to combine.
Whisk the egg. In a different medium-sized mixing bowl, add two eggs and whisk them together.
Coat in egg. Add chicken strips into the mixing bowl containing the whisked egg and mix. Make sure all chicken strips are coated in the egg mixture.
Dredge in the cornflake mixture. One by one, dip each chicken strip into the cereal mixture from the other bowl. Ensure the chicken is fully coated in the mixture, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere.
Arrange on the rack. Place chicken strips onto the cooling rack. Make sure none of them are touching and they're evenly spread out.
Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
Enjoy. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Top Tips for Perfect Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers
Spray your rack. Be sure to spray your rack with cooking oil so the chicken doesn't stick. There's nothing sadder than a perfect crust torn apart because it welded itself to the wire.
Keep one hand wet, one dry. When dredging the chicken, try to keep one hand wet and one dry so you don't get too messy. The wet hand handles the egg-coated chicken, the dry hand handles the cornflake mixture.
Don't crowd the rack. When placing the chicken fingers on the rack, make sure they aren't touching. If they touch, the coating steams instead of crisps, and you lose that crunch you worked for.
Serve immediately. These are at their absolute best straight from the oven, when the crust is still crackling and the inside is steaming.
What to Serve With Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers
These fingers can be served as a main or as an appetizer. Serve as a main with salad, veggies, or a potato side dish. For an appetizer, I like to serve them with a selection of dips like herb cream cheese dip, smoky blue cheese dip, Mexican street corn dip, or loaded Rotel dip. A creamy dip is the perfect cool contrast to that crunchy, paprika-warmed crust.
More Appetizer Recipes to Try
If you're building a game day spread, these pair well with easy bacon wrapped shrimp, Crock Pot kielbasa sausage bites, cheesy asparagus crescent roll appetizers, garlic parmesan chicken wings, and mini bacon ranch cheeseball bites.
How to Store and Reheat
Store cooled chicken fingers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To keep the crust crispy, reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer for about 8–10 minutes rather than microwaving, which will steam the coating and leave it soft. For longer storage, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 400°F oven until heated through and crisp.
The secret to getting these chicken fingers perfectly crispy without frying is the cornflake coating. It's a great way to add flavor and texture to the chicken without the hassle and mess of hot oil. Cornflakes crush down into shaggy, golden shards that crisp up beautifully in the oven, giving you a crust that's crunchy all the way through instead of soggy in the middle. Along with the cornflakes, the coating includes flour, egg, salt and pepper, sweet paprika, and parmesan. That combination gives you a coating that's savory, slightly smoky-sweet, and just salty enough from the cheese. Once baked, the chicken strips are perfectly golden brown, juicy, and crispy.
What You'll Need
Chicken. I like to use chicken breast for this recipe—you simply cut it into strips before breading. You can also use chicken tenders if you can get them, though they can be slightly more expensive. Use chicken that is free-run or organic if you can, and one that hasn't been raised on antibiotics.
The coating. Cornflakes are the star here, crushed into coarse crumbs rather than a fine powder so you keep some texture. Flour helps everything adhere. Sweet paprika adds warmth and color. Parmesan brings a salty, nutty edge. Salt and pepper round it out.
The binder. A whisked egg is what makes the coating stick to the chicken. Without it, the cornflake mixture slides right off in the oven.
How to Make This Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers Recipe
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, then place a cooling rack onto the baking tray. Spray the cooling rack with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. This is what lets the heat circulate around the chicken so the bottom crisps too, instead of steaming against a flat pan.
Cut the chicken. Cut chicken breast into strips and set aside in a large bowl.
Mix the coating. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add crushed cereal, flour, salt and pepper, paprika, sugar, and parmesan. Whisk to combine.
Whisk the egg. In a different medium-sized mixing bowl, add two eggs and whisk them together.
Coat in egg. Add chicken strips into the mixing bowl containing the whisked egg and mix. Make sure all chicken strips are coated in the egg mixture.
Dredge in the cornflake mixture. One by one, dip each chicken strip into the cereal mixture from the other bowl. Ensure the chicken is fully coated in the mixture, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere.
Arrange on the rack. Place chicken strips onto the cooling rack. Make sure none of them are touching and they're evenly spread out.
Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
Enjoy. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Top Tips for Perfect Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers
Spray your rack. Be sure to spray your rack with cooking oil so the chicken doesn't stick. There's nothing sadder than a perfect crust torn apart because it welded itself to the wire.
Keep one hand wet, one dry. When dredging the chicken, try to keep one hand wet and one dry so you don't get too messy. The wet hand handles the egg-coated chicken, the dry hand handles the cornflake mixture.
Don't crowd the rack. When placing the chicken fingers on the rack, make sure they aren't touching. If they touch, the coating steams instead of crisps, and you lose that crunch you worked for.
Serve immediately. These are at their absolute best straight from the oven, when the crust is still crackling and the inside is steaming.
What to Serve With Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers
These fingers can be served as a main or as an appetizer. Serve as a main with salad, veggies, or a potato side dish. For an appetizer, I like to serve them with a selection of dips like herb cream cheese dip, smoky blue cheese dip, Mexican street corn dip, or loaded Rotel dip. A creamy dip is the perfect cool contrast to that crunchy, paprika-warmed crust.
More Appetizer Recipes to Try
If you're building a game day spread, these pair well with easy bacon wrapped shrimp, Crock Pot kielbasa sausage bites, cheesy asparagus crescent roll appetizers, garlic parmesan chicken wings, and mini bacon ranch cheeseball bites.
How to Store and Reheat
Store cooled chicken fingers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To keep the crust crispy, reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer for about 8–10 minutes rather than microwaving, which will steam the coating and leave it soft. For longer storage, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 400°F oven until heated through and crisp.